About Draba asterophora Payson
Draba asterophora Payson is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family Brassicaceae. Its common names are Lake Tahoe draba and Tahoe whitlow-grass. This is a rare plant that is found exclusively in the Mount Rose and Slide Mountain areas of the northern Carson Range, located in far western Nevada. This range sits within and just outside of the Lake Tahoe drainage basin. It is a short, compact perennial herb that grows as small mats in rocky alpine habitat of high mountains. It produces a basal patch of thick, hairy oval leaves that can reach up to 1.5 centimeters in length. A small, upright inflorescence grows from the leaf patch, bearing several yellow mustard-like flowers. Its fruit is a flat, wavy, oval-shaped silique that is somewhat membranous and can grow up to 1.5 centimeters long. This silique holds several flat, round seeds with wide wings along their edges.
